Justice Ernest Gooding of the High Court of Sierra Leone has incarcerated two alleged robbers at the Male Correctional Centre in Freetown for the offence of robbery, contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.

The two alleged robbers, Saidu Dumbuya and Abubakar Barrie, were accused of robbing Saidu Sulaiman Dumbuya of his motorbike with registration number AKW 372. They also were said to have taken away his personal belongings, such as bag, physical cash of one million four hundred fifty thousand leones, and one Samsung Galaxy mobile phone, on 10 November 2015 at Old Wharf, Wellington in the east of Freetown.

The complainant, Saidu Sulaiman Dumbuya, who was led in evidence by the State Counsel, Oliver Robin Mason Jnr, said he was a commercial motorbike rider and recognized all accused persons.

He furthered that he recalled the incident of 10 November 2015 at around 9:30pm and on the above stated date he was hired by the first accused, Saidu Dumbuya at SLPMB Junction, along the Freetown Bai Bureh Road to transport them to a place called Old Wharf Road.

He narrated that on their arrival at Old Wharf the second accused, Abubakar Barrie, told him to return both of them to SLPMB junction and that whilest they were on their way to SLPMB junction, the second accused asked him to stop at a particular point along the way.

He said after both accused persons had disembarked, the second accused attempted to pay him but ended up placing an object in his hand, which suddenly exploded, thus causing him to lose his eye sight at that particular moment his ears were temporarily impaired and became unconscious.

According to him, when he regained consciousness, he realized that he had been pushed into a nearby gutter and after helping himself out of the gutter he realized that his motorbike and other items were missing.

The witness went on to state that he ran to SLPMB junction and informed his colleagues bike riders about the incident, who immediately formed a team and went in search of both accused at Jui, along the Freetown-Waterloo highway in the outskirts of Freetown.

He told the court that since they could not trace the marauding pylons at Jui, they returned to SLPMB junction, adding that upon arrival, he had a telephone call from his friend, Sahr Steven, who informed him that he had seen his motorbike parked in an unfinished house at Old Wharf, in the custody of both accused persons.

Based on the information, he said his fellow bike riders joined him to go and request the assistance of some military personnel, at a military base within the Wellington Industrial Estate, who accompanied them to Old Wharf where they retrieved the motor bike and arrested both accused, the landlord of the unfinished house together with a lady.

He said the accused, the motor bike and the landlord were brought down to the Calaba Town Police Post, where statements were obtained from them, and a police medical report request form issued to him for medical examination and treatment at the Rokupa Government Hospital. Justice Gooding adjourned the matter to Wednesday 15 February, 2017.